1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the game of darts. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for maintaining projectile-type darts in which various tools of different types and distinct functions are uniquely combined to facilitate quick and efficient maintenance of such darts under competitive conditions, including such functions as grooming of the fins or flights, tightening of the shaft, removal of the shaft when broken, sharpening of the tip when required, and removal of the tip when necessary.
2. Description of the Related Art
A game dart is essentially a hand thrown fin stabilized projectile which includes four major sections, including a sharpened tip at the distal end, a head, and a shaft at the proximal end, the shaft having fins made of feather-like materials, metallic foil, plastic or the like, supported thereon which act as aerodynamic stabilizers. The head may also be denoted the barrel. The fins in combination are referred to as a flight. The sharp tip is attached to the distal end of the head and the shaft is attached to the proximal end of the head.
While early darts actually used feather materials for construction of the flights, modem darts now primarily use various synthetic materials which have been proven to maintain a preselected aerodynamic shape and alignment. Typically, the flights are now made from mylar, metallic foil, and synthetic plastics of various types. Through use the flights generally sustain age which affects the aerodynamic performance of the darts resulting in reduced accuracy and consistency of flight. What is needed is a device which is capable of grooming the flights to restore and maintain the aerodynamic performance of the darts, while also having the capability to repair all sections of the darts in a relatively quick manner, without distracting the user, since the user is usually functioning under intense competitive conditions. In particular, a typical user of such darts requires heavy concentration on his or her own actions and score while remaining intent on the actions of the opposing side during their turn(s). Thus, a unique combination of tools in a single compact unit will permit the user to maintain the darts with minimum distraction from the game.
As noted, the dart projectiles themselves have a sharp point at the distal end of the tip. These sharpened points of the darts are typically made of a metallic material. These dart points become dull during use of the darts when they hit objects such as dividing wires (i.e. wires which divide numbered segments on a dart board), other darts, or bounce out onto a hard surface. In order to resharpen the dart tips to a sharp point a stone-type sharpening tool having an abrasive sharpening surface is commonly used.
Although the traditional-type darts with metallic tips are used with a bristle-type dart board, with the advent of electronics a new type of dart tip and board has emerged. There now exists an electronic dart board typically made of a plastic material and having a multiplicity of electronically sensitive apertures. These new dart boards contain electronic systems, so that the score of the game is automatically recorded and tallied when a dart enters an aperture in the board. Such boards are also made without the electronic features, whereby scores are manually tallied.
These new dart boards require the player to use special dart tips made of plastic, so as not to damage the board or the electronic circuitry in the board. The plastic dart tips are typically attached to the dart head by screwing a threaded portion of the dart tip into a correspondingly threaded aperture in the dart head. However, in order to securely attach the dart tips, the tips must be sufficiently tightened into the dart head.
The plastic dart tips typically have indentations on the proximal surface so that a wrench-type tool can be used to grip the tip to screw it into the dart head. Various types of wrench-type configurations may be used. The indentations on the surface of the plastic tips typically may have either a star-type configuration or a configuration having two or more flat surfaces. When two flat surfaces are used, they are generally parallel to each other. Other combinations of surfaces may include conventional wrench-type shapes including rectangular or hexagonal configurations or the like. In either instance, the wrench utilized for removal or tightening the tip portion will have a corresponding similar configuration, such as star-type or the like.
The star-type configuration is such that when viewed from the top of the tip, it appears that the indentations in the surface of the tip form a star-type pattern. The dart tip removal tool is typically generally slid over the distal end of the tip and fits over the proximal end portion of the tip, and has corresponding protrusions which engage the indentations on the tip, thus securely holding the tip in place. The wrench type configuration is such that when the tip is viewed from the front, there are two flat indentations in the proximal surface of the dart tip. Again, the tip removal tool for this configuration fits over the proximal end portion of the dart tip and has corresponding parallel surfaces which engage the parallel sides on the dart tip to hold the dart in place. Other wrench type configurations operate in a similar manner.
The plastic tips for the darts must be changed on a regular basis so that they function properly with the new electronic boards. Since the tips are made of plastic they are easily broken or deformed during normal use or by dropping onto a hard surface. Although, as described, there are tools for removing such tips, such tools are typically a thin sheet of metal and do not adequately hold the dart tip securely when loosening or tightening. Thus the indentations on the dart tips may become stripped and the threaded portions on the dart tips become damaged since the tips are not held securely in place while they are screwed into the dart head.
Numerous innovations for dart tools have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.